Self-Cinching Suture Construct with Button Anchor
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional suture constructs for surgical procedures, such as meniscus root repair, often lead to unintentional release of tension over time due to knot loosening, causing discomfort and improper healing, as they tend to irritate tissues and lose contact with the bone.
Innovation Solution
A self-cinching suture construct apparatus featuring a first strand, a second strand with a sleeve, and a fixed loop, which provides a knotless mechanism to secure the suture in place by tightening around the strand, preventing axial translation and maintaining tension without external knots.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional sutures with knots are used to secure the suture in place, then the suture can be tied off to maintain tension, but the knots may rub against the soft tissue causing discomfort or irritation and may loosen over time leading to loss of tension
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the knot from the suture construct, extracting the harmful element that causes tissue irritation. The suture is secured through a button mechanism that interfaces with an anchor in the bone, eliminating the need for external knots that contact soft tissue.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a button as an intermediary element between the suture and the external environment. The button works with an anchor embedded in the bone to maintain suture tension without requiring knots to contact soft tissue, thus mediating the tension maintenance function while avoiding tissue irritation.
2Shape
If the suture is pulled tight to reduce the soft tissue to its desired anatomical position, then the tissue is secured in place, but the suture has a tendency to allow the button to move slightly away from the bone causing loss of tension
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a dynamic cinching mechanism where the suture can be tensioned to pull tissue to the desired anatomical position, and the button-anchor system dynamically maintains this position. The cinching action creates friction and mechanical interlocking that prevents button migration while allowing initial positioning adjustments.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary cinching action during surgery to secure the button against the bone before final tissue healing occurs. This preliminary mechanical securing prevents button migration that would otherwise occur as tissues heal and contract, ensuring long-term tension maintenance.
3Ease of operation
If knotted suture constructs are used for meniscus root repair, then the suture can be secured, but the knots may slip or loosen over time causing damage to the tissue and improper healing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the knot from the suture construct, eliminating the component that slips or loosens over time. The button-anchor mechanism provides securement without the mechanical weaknesses of knotted sutures, ensuring long-term stability while maintaining ease of initial securing during surgery.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the knot-based mechanical securing system with a button-anchor mechanical system. This substitution eliminates the slipping and loosening problems inherent in knotted sutures while providing equivalent or superior securing capability through a different mechanical principle based on friction and geometric interlocking.
Data Source
AI summary
A suture construct apparatus, including a self-cinching suture member having a first strand, a second strand, a sleeve defined on the second strand, and a self-cinching suture member fixed loop with a sheath positioned on the self-cinching suture member. The suture construct apparatus may further include an anchor disposed on the self-cinching suture member, a self-cinching suture member shuttling suture disposed on the self-cinching suture member fixed loop, and a sheath removably disposed around at least a portion of the self-cinching suture member. The first strand may pass through the sleeve and form a self-cinching suture member free end. The first strand may also be axially moveable through the sleeve.